Forbidden Love
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Concerned for Father Mulcahy, Colonel Potter corners the good priest and is shocked to learn the Francis Mulcahy has been keeping a secret from everyone. Inspired by the one shot I did "A Father's Confession". Rated T only because of the contents that will be in one chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The compound was eerily quiet as Francis Mulcahy made his way from Post Op to his own tent, fighting the emotions that were running through him. He'd spent the majority of the afternoon and evening visiting the wounded soldiers. Everything had been fine until he'd come to the last soldier. He was thin with little to almost no hair, though what was there was light brown. After introducing himself to the young man, Father Mulcahy had sat down next to the cot and let the young man talk; and talk the young man did.

_"I never knew my father," Private Miller said as he turned his head and looked at his comrades who were in Post Op with him, "like they do." He turned his face towards Father Mulcahy. "Before our regiment was attacked, the guys were laughing and talking about their fathers, then wanted to know about mine. I had nothing to tell them, so I quickly came up with an excuse and left. Sounds bad only I'm sort of glad we were hit when we were. Is that horrible or what?" the young soldier looked at the priest before him with such guilt in his eyes that Father Mulcahy wanted to reach out and remove it for good. _

_ "No, it doesn't. You were spared the humiliation of telling something you didn't want them to know. I'd say it was a natural reaction, my son."_

_ Andrew drew in a breath and continued talking. "Mother would never talk about him. That is, she'd only say he was a very good man who did his best to live the way he should. She said she left him, not the other way round. The only other thing I ever got from her was a first name. I don't get that. If he was such a good man, why did she leave him? It doesn't make sense."_

_ Father Mulcahy felt his heart skip a beat as he thought on the many experiences he'd had; actually on one particular experience. It was all he could do to answer with a tone that wouldn't send off any "warning signals". "There are times life is like that. Sometimes, we just have to wait to understand; sometimes, we never do." He was surprised when the private before him started chuckling. Father Mulcahy hadn't thought what he said was so funny._

_ When Private Miller stopped chuckling, he explained what had caused him to laugh. "My mother was always saying the same thing, told me not to worry about it and to just let it go. She was a good woman." His voice lowered a notch._

_ "Was?" Father Mulcahy felt himself stiffen ever so slightly. Cautiously, he ventured to ask, "She has passed on?"_

_ "Passed away last year after a freak car accident," came the barely audible answer. Again, Father Mulcahy felt his heart go out to the wounded soldier. "Just before dying," the soldier sighed, "she said "Lyle, I never stopped loving you. Please, forgive me." Anger filled the young man's voice as he cried out in anguish, "Forgive her? My mother might not be a saint father, but like I said, she was a good woman. She worked hard and taught me the best she could." The young man's tears flowed._

Father Mulcahy opened the door to his tent and stepped inside. Only when he was alone did he sit down and let his tears flow. The young man's story hit too close to home as Father Mulcahy thought on his own past. His tears might have continued flowing only a knock came on the door. Not knowing who was knocking on his door, the good priest hurried and wiped his eyes and then let his guest in…which turned out to be Colonel Potter.

"I thought you'd be in bed." Father Mulcahy said as he sat down on his cot while Colonel Potter pulled up the chair that Francis had sitting in the tent.

A smile full appeared on Sherman's face while concern filled his eyes. "I would be only I happened to see a good friend walking through the compound looking very troubled. I might not have thought a thing about it only he was doing the same thing this afternoon." By the way Father Mulcahy stiffened Sherman T Potter knew he'd struck gold with the comment. "What's wrong?" he leaned forward a bit and talked with the reassuring tone he always used when dealing with matters he thought might be of a sensitive nature.

What was wrong? Father Mulcahy fought to keep tears from falling again as a bit of his past rolled in front of his eyes for the umpteenth time. Especially since he could still see the anguish in Private Miller's face. "Have you ever put something behind you only to find yourself facing it all over again later down the road?" He looked at Colonel Potter with the same look the good colonel had seen before.

"I'd say you haven't really put it behind you if it still bothers you. Want to talk about it?"

Father Mulcahy's shoulders slumped slightly. "It" was something he'd never told anyone, something that he both regretted and held close to his heart. It was his secret that kept him from publicly chastising anyone else for their faults or weakness. After all, a man can hardly judge the mote that is another person's eyes when they, themselves, had a beam in theirs.

"Yes and no," Father Mulcahy stood up and walked to his door and turned around. "Does that make sense?" The moment the question was out of his mouth, Francis Mulcahy wanted to laugh, but he didn't. He couldn't without making his dear friend curious and he knew his vows meant he wouldn't talk about Private Miller and their conversation.

"It sure does, but I have all night if you need it." Sherman did too. Out of all the men and women in his unit, Father Mulcahy held a special place in the colonel's heart. Okay, they all held a spot, but at the moment Father Mulcahy's spot had been moved up front.

After a moment of silence, Father Mulcahy slowly nodded. Maybe it was time to tell his story.


	2. Nurse Chapin

**Chapter Two**

**Flashback continued...**

Father Mulcahy hurried across the compound, not easy to do as the wind was blowing rather hard. He'd been preparing his sermon for the next day when Margaret _Houlihan had sent word he was needed. Being in such a hurry, Father Mulcahy failed to see the new nurse that had recently been assigned to the M.A.S.H. 4077. By the time he did, she was landing on the ground below her._

_ "Oh, I'm sorry!" Father Mulcahy reached down and took a hold of her hand, helping her up as he did so. "I usually pay better attention than that. Are you all right?" He looked at the young black haired nurse closely. He'd hate the thought she'd been hurt when she fell._

_ "I'm fine, father." Nurse Ellen Chapin brushed the dirt off her pants and smiled. "I missed the mud." She nodded to a nearby puddle which remained from the previous day. "Where are you going in such a hurry anyway?" Since arriving at the unit, Ellen had been very observant of the people she worked with, including the good father that served among them. She had never seen him in such a rush before._

_ "I was told I was needed in the O.R." Father Mulcahy explained._

_ Ellen sighed. She'd just come from the O.R. and knew full well why the priest had been sent for. "There's no need to rush now. A young soldier wanted to speak to you before they operated on him only…" her voice broke and she looked away._

_ Francis Mulcahy felt a pit in his stomach. He didn't need the nurse to tell him what had happened. He let out a sigh. "I best still go. He'll need the last rites administered to him or," he asked as he looked at Ellen, "was he even Catholic?"_

_ She nodded. "He said he was." _

_ "I best go then." Father Mulcahy said as he excused himself and started to leave only to have Ellen speak up._

_ "Will you be free later? I was hoping to talk to you in private." _

_ Father Mulcahy was surprised to hear Ellen say that as she was not Catholic and had, on the few occasions she needed to talk, had always turned to one of the other nurses. Rumor even had it she'd managed to get past Margaret's shell and had some heart to heart talks with her. Of course, that was only rumor and Ellen had neither confirmed nor denied the rumors. "Sure, I'll see you as soon as I go give the young soldier the last rites. If you want, you can wait for me in my tent." Realizing what he's just said, the good father blushed, before nervously adding. "It is very common for people to wait for me, so we can talk in private. It's hard to get any of that, privacy that is, around here."_

_ Ellen understood that all too well; she nodded and headed for his tent. As she walked she saw BJ and Hawkeye, along with some others, laughing and talking. She couldn't help but shake her head. Hawkeye had tried to get her to go on a date with him, tried for the first month she'd been there, until she finally had to put her foot down and tell him she just wasn't interested in anything but a friendship. Though, truth be told, she did pray for the day he found someone he could love enough to stop bouncing from one woman to the other._

_ As much as she might have liked to, Ellen did not linger in the compound as she walked to the good father's tent and stepped inside. She looked around. When she looked upon the books he had sitting next to his bed; Ellen had to give the priest credit. He had good taste when it came to reading material. Knowing she really had no business snooping around, Elle sat down on a chair and waited until Father Mulcahy walked in the door._

_ "What can I do for you?" he asked as he pulled the chair that sat next to his 'desk' out and sat down._

_ Ellen, who was rather nervous, almost apologized for bothering him as she thought about just leaving only she didn't. Instead she took a deep breath and asked, "If you knew someone who was thinking to enter the priesthood and you were thoroughly convinced they were making the biggest mistake of their life, would you say something or not?"_

_ Father Mulcahy thought back on the many men he'd known through the years. There had definitely been those he could not see being in the priesthood; still, the choice was theirs not his. "I assume you know someone in this position?" He looked questionably upon his visitor._

_ Ellen nodded as she stood up and walked to the side of his tent and then turned around. "I come from a rather large family, father. If I told you how many brothers and sisters I have, I'm sure you'd have heart failure. The thing is while my father was born a Methodist, he's not active in his faith and mother is Catholic. We were all raised Catholic it's just that," she chuckled, "some of us found our way back to the Methodists." She shrugged her shoulders and continued. "I have one brother who has been a priest for awhile now and I have no problem with it. His heart is in it and he does his best. But, my youngest brother," she shook her head as she sat back down, "well, put it this way. If Hawkeye walked in here and told you he was converting to Catholicism and entering the priesthood what would you do?"_

_ Father Mulcahy couldn't help it. He started roaring with laughter. Just the picture of Benjamin Franklin Pierce in the clothes of a priest and turning away a good looking woman was just too much. He fought to get control of his laughter, not easy to do as Ellen had joined in his laughter. However, he was finally able to do so. "Your brother's like Hawkeye?"_

_ Ellen shrugged her shoulders and answered, "He might not flirt as much as Hawkeye, but yes, that man had had more girlfriends than I care to count. On top of that, like Hawkeye, he has a hard time with obeying those who he disagrees with, even those who have authority over him. Besides, my baby brother always dreamed of getting his own mechanic shop and having a family. I can't see anything in his life that would explain the sudden change. He wants my support, but every time I try to write, I can't seem to do it."_

_ "For the sake of your brother, you need to give him the support and," Father Mulcahy sighed, "be there to catch him if he falls. Which, if he's not entering the priesthood for the right reasons, he will do, fall that is."_

_ Ellen nodded and stood up. "Thanks, father."_

_ "No problem," Father Mulcahy smiled. "Come by anytime. The door's open anytime. If it makes you more comfortable, we can eve go on small walks where we can talk privately without being alone here. Either way, the door is always open." He said that because he'd seen how uncomfortable she'd been in his tent with it being just the two of them._

_** End Flashback... **_

_Father Mulcahy stopped talking and looked at Colonel Potter with a look that was just as confused as his feelings were. "When I told her I'd be there for her anytime, neither one of us thought anything of it. We never dreamt…." His voice trailed off as his mind once again turned back the pages of time while Colonel Potter simply waited for the good priest to continue._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_**FLASHBACK CONTINUES**_

"Hey, watch it!" Igor yelled at Klinger as accidently bumped him into. The M.A.S.H. 4077 was having a party to celebrate Ellen Chapin's birthday and the mess hall, which had been cleared of most of its tables, was pretty well full.

"I didn't bump into you!" Klinger snapped back. He might have punched him too, only Trapper John stepped in between the two, doing his best not to laugh. He was sure Igor and Klinger had a secret pack to act like enemies in public just so they could get away with pulling stings behind everyone's back. Of course, he couldn't prove it, as he had no hard evidence, just a gut feeling. Still, BJ didn't want the birthday party to be spoiled.

"Come on you two, separate. Here comes the birthday girl." Trapper John pointed in the direction Ellen was coming from.

"Fine," Igor scowled at Klinger, "but keep that knucklehead away from me!"

"Why you…" Klinger went to grab Igor, only to find Trapper John pulling him to the other side of the tent.

Father Mulcahy couldn't help but smile at the banter between the two corpsmen as he figured it was just the men's way of dealing with the stress of the war. However, when he too saw Ellen, he started moving through the crowd that was gathered. After their talk, he wanted to check on how she doing and if she'd come to terms with her younger brother entering the priesthood. Though, he couldn't help but chuckle inside as he again got a picture of Hawkeye in priest's clothing.

"Hello, Ellen." Father Mulcahy smiled and walked up to the young woman once everyone else had shouted Happy Birthday, sang to her, she'd cut her cake and she'd sat down at one of the few tables that had been left behind. "How are you doing?" He asked the question, as he sat down across from her. Everyone else was dancing and talking up a storm.

Ellen could see the unspoken questions, the ones Francis Mulcahy would have asked had they not been around other people. It made her feel good to know he was concerned enough to ask. Then again, the good father was genuinely concerned about everyone in his care. "I'm doing okay, really. Maybe, when this over, we can walk around the compound and talk?" She put her fork down as she glanced around the room. By doing so she sent a clear message, she didn't want to worry about being overheard.

"Of course," Father Mulcahy would have said more, only Hawkeye walked up and, unknowingly, interrupted.

"I might have failed to get you to go out with me," he smiled from ear to ear as he looked at Nurse Chapin, "only do you think you could still find it in you to give me at least one dance?"

Ellen wasn't blind and inwardly shook her head. Hawkeye might not be admitting it to himself, but he was still secretly hoping to get her to change her mind. She could feel it. Still, it was her birthday, and he was actually talking in a non pushy tone of voice. "One dance," she answered as she stood up, "as I have told more than once person, I'm not too good of a dancer."

While Ellen danced with Hawkeye, Colonel Blake sat down across from Francis and began talking to Father Mulcahy. The good priest did his best to pay attention; well, close enough to be able to give appropriate comments and answers. It was easy though, not with wondering what Ellen needed to talk about that could not be discussed at the birthday party. Needless to say; he was more than relieved when the good colonel stood up and left. Once he was along, Father Mulcahy slipped out of the mess hall. If he was to spend time walking, listening and talking to Ellen, he had things he needed to get done first.

Ellen saw the good father leave the party and wished she could join him. She had never been huge on large gatherings and the other nurses had gone overboard with this one. Of course, being too polite to say anything, Ellen was simply grinning and bearing it. Though, first chance she got, Ellen left the party.

She hadn't gone very far when Father Mulcahy appeared. He'd finished with his 'to do' list and was ready for the walk he'd promised her. At first they simply walked in silence, watching others who paid the two no mind. Why should they? He was a priest, and she was a hardworking, dependable and trustworthy nurse.

Finally Ellen broke the silence. "I wrote to my brother. I told him I might not agree with his decision, but that I'd give him my blessing and support if he decided he was serious enough to follow through on what he said he wanted to do."

Father Mulcahy, who could see the young woman was still struggling with her feelings over the issue, nodded towards his tent. "Maybe we should talk in there." He would not have suggested it, but there really was too many people appearing in the compound and the noise lever was rising.

Like the good father, Ellen knew the noise would make it impossible low and still be heard. "Maybe you're right." She replied as she followed him inside his tent and again sat down. Once inside she looked at the one man who she knew would listen to her without repeating anything she might say.

"I wrote the words Father, but I still fear the day I go home. I mean, if I can't get my feelings to change, how will I give him the support he really needs? That is, if he doesn't back out or drop out…if he changes." Ellen sat back in the chair.

Father Mulcahy turned up the palms of his hands as he sat on the side of his cot; the other chair had a busted leg and he was waiting for it to be replaced. "You just love him. As far as changing," he gave her an amused smiled, "Priests are human too. Just because we enter the priesthood and take vows means we are automatically changed. However, we still laugh, cry, work, play and other things. Your brother is your brother. If any changes do occur, let's hope it would be only in the fact that he'll let it help him become a better person. Not that you have to become a priest for that to happen."

"He'll change; I told you he's more like Hawkeye than anything. It will feel strange to him not to have some girl on his arm. How can he just turn off his feelings like that?" She asked the question without thinking. The moment the words were out of her mouth, Ellen wished she could take them back. It's like she was that naïve.

Father Mulcahy's eyes widened in shock. It had never occurred to him that she might think a man turned his feelings off simply because they became priests. "He can't and he'll have to face that fact and deal with it, along with all the other vows he will take. Believe me we are all tested at one time or another." He answered a bit more bluntly than he meant to. That being the case, he wasn't surprised to see a bit of shock enter her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound…well," she stammered more than a bit embarrassed at her blunder.

"It's okay," Father Mulcahy reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, "we all speak before we think at times, as I just proved myself."

Ellen had to steady herself and fight to keep control as he touched her simply because she was shocked by the feelings that rolled over her as he did so. She'd never thought a priest would affect her so. "I best go." She stood up looking rather uneasy. "Thanks for your time and for understanding."

"No problem," Father Mulcahy, who, like Ellen, found himself in the same boat as Ellen, even if he didn't know what she'd felt. "Like I said, I'm here anytime you want to talk." He watched her leave and then headed for the showers.


	4. Basketball game, laughs and a Kiss

**Forbidden Love **

**Chapter Four**

Father Mulcahy stood up and stretched his legs, grateful for Colonel Potter's patience. The man should receive an award for the patience he had to possess in order to be in charge of a unit, especially when he got pulled into listening to stories such as the one he, Father Mulcahy, was telling.

Colonel Potter himself simply watched and waited for the good priest to continue talking. He didn't have long to wait. After stretching his legs, Father Mulcahy sat back down and began talking again.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Father Mulcahy walked though the darkened compound after having visiting one of the patients in Post Op. He was sure he was the only one left up and so he was surprised to see Ellen near the basketball hoop shooting baskets. Once he reached the rock boundary line, he stopped and watched. Only when she felt someone behind her did Ellen turn around._

_ "Hello there father," Ellen bounced the ball and caught it before walking over to where the priest stood. "Want to play?"_

_ "Why not?" Father Mulcahy accepted the ball she held out to him and stepped inside the circle._

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

"I only meant to play for a few minutes." Father Mulcahy stopped talking about the past and looked at Colonel Potter. The kind hearted colonel nodded. He understood all too well as he'd heard similar sentences spoken through his many years of serve in the army.

"But, time slipped away." Colonel Potter said when man called Francis Mulcahy stopped talking.

Father Mulcahy nodded and admitted that was the case.

**BACK TO FLASHBACK**

_"I think I best stop." Father Mulcahy laughed as Ellen and he finished another friendly game; they'd been seeing who could get twenty-one points first. She'd beaten him a number of times and he her._

_ While the two had played, they'd swapped one story after another with each other. Some of the stories had been funny, others had been more serious; still, they'd all been interesting. "Yeah, if we don't both get some sleep, we'll hate ourselves in the morning." Ellen agreed as she started to step over the rocks only to find herself tripping. She would have fallen, only Father Mulcahy reached out and grabbed her before she did. As he brought her back up the two unexpectedly found their faces inches away from each other. _

_ Up to that point both Father Mulcahy and Ellen had been in denial when it came to the feelings that had begun to grow between them since her second visit to his tent. However, with Ellen in his arms and their faces so close, those feelings forced themselves to the front. Before either one took time to really think about it, they were not only holding onto each other but they were also kissing._

_ For Father Mulcahy's part he felt like the rug had been pulled out from under his feet as the taste of Ellen's sweet lips sent what felt like lightning bolts through him. Before he'd entered the priesthood Father Mulcahy had kissed a couple of girls, and it had never been like this. Without half thinking, he slid his tongue inside Ellen's mouth and allowed the kiss to deepen._

_ Ellen couldn't believe she was letting a priest kiss her, or that she was returning the kisses with just as much passion as she felt rolling off him. When had the two of them become close enough to let this happen? She didn't know but she continued holding on, as she found herself wanting more._

_ Francis Mulcahy couldn't believe the fire that was starting to burn inside of him. A part of him cursed his mortal flesh and told him to stop. The other part pulled Ellen closer as he ran his hands up and down her back, a movement that reached inside her and pulled out a slight moan. It was the moan, and the fact that she also slid her arms up his back that, somehow, reached through the fire and asked the good priest one thing. "Do you love her enough not only to lay with her, but also to marry her?" It was that question that broke through the kiss and had the good father pulling back simply because he didn't know. _

_His pulling back was something that Ellen Chapin did not fight, as she knew the two of them had no business doing what they'd just done._

"_I…I'm sorry." Father Mulcahy stammered, embarrassed at what he'd just done._

_ Ellen said nothing at first, a part of her wishing he hadn't pulled back and the other chastising herself for thinking such a thing in the first place. "Don't be," she said when she finally found her voice, "we're both at fault. I think I best back to my tent." She hurried off, knowing if she didn't she'd try to get him to kiss her again. For his sake, she didn't want to chance anything more than a kiss happening._

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

"I took a walk after that." Father Mulcahy shook his head. "I take my vows seriously, Sherman. Once I took them, I never held or kissed a woman, never let myself get close enough to one to even want to do such a thing." He let out another sigh as he took another deep breath, "but, somehow, without really realizing it, Ellen and I had formed a bond that allowed us to cross that line. I needed time to think; time to give myself a pep talk as it were, to remind myself who and what I was. I must have wandered around for a good hour. When I finally got back," Father Mulcahy looked at Colonel Potter, "I headed straight for the showers."

"It didn't do much good did it?" Colonel Potter asked the question already knowing the answer.

Father Mulcahy shook his head. "It helped for that night, but no, in the long run it did no good at all." He then yawned and asked if Colonel Potter would be available tomorrow as he was just too tired to continue. It was a request that Colonel Potter was gracious to fulfill.


	5. Lines Crossed

**A/N **This contains mature subject matter. Anyone who has a problem with the fact that some priests, no matter how good they are, have the ability to slip at least once and break their vows…don't read it. In all reality, the chapter itself has a rating of a soft M….I hope. All I know is I've done my best with it.

**Chapter Five**

Father Mulcahy and Sherman Potter were once again sitting in the good priest's tent. And, as before, Colonel Potter simply let Father Mulcahy talk. After all, Sherman T. Potter knew there was nothing else he could do for his friend but listen. Though, truth be told, he found himself sitting on the edge of his seat.

_**Flashback**_

_Father Mulcahy stood on the hill overlooking M.A.S.H. 4077. He'd woke up that morning after having a most vivid dream. If the dream hadn't been about himself and Ellen, it wouldn't have been so bad. As it was, he'd woke up very much out of shape and unsettled. Now, with the evening drawing to a close, he found himself thinking about the dream again. What was wrong with him? He was a priest for goodness sake! He'd taken vows; ones he held sacred. He sincerely cared about those he served. His head knew all this and yet, in his sleep, he desired the one thing he could not have…the love of a good woman, not just any woman either. No, he was starting to have more and more dreams about Ellen. It was because of the dreams that he had left his tent and slipped out of camp._

_ Father Mulcahy looked around at the grass, as it moved back and forth in the wind that had begun to blow, along with the leaves on the nearby trees. He had been sure, sure enough of his calling in life to have served as a priest for well over twenty years. As far as he knew, he'd done the best he could. He never thought he'd find himself in spot where he'd be questioning if he'd made the right choice._

_From where she stood, Ellen saw Francis Mulcahy standing on the hill with his hands behind his back. The moment she had seen the good priest walk out of camp, she figured she figured she was pretty sure she knew where he was going. She was also equally as sure she knew why. After all, it didn't take a blind man to see the struggle that was going on inside him. Everyone had noticed the turmoil in his eyes but, having no clue to as what had transpired between Ellen and their priest, none dare question him._

_Ellen wanted to help but didn't know how. She had been fighting her own feelings for Francis Mulcahy. Like Father Mulcahy, she'd begun to have her own dreams. Seeing how they kept side skirting the issue, maybe she should just approach him and get things out in the open, even if it meant she got a broken heart out of it. As she came to that conclusion, Ellen started up the hill towards the good priest._

_Out of the corner of his eye Francis Mulcahy saw Ellen coming towards him. His heart skipped and he almost ran down the hill in front of him in order to get back to camp before she made it up to him; she was coming up the side. Only he didn't. Like Ellen, he thought staying and talking where they had no ears to over hear their conversation would help put an end to the dreams._

_ "I thought I'd find you here." Ellen stopped next to him. Then, without even thinking, she blurted out, "I know I'm making it difficult on you being here, in the unit. I can ask for a transfer." She'd do anything to help him be happy, even leaving to go to another unit if need be._

_Father Mulcahy whirled around, horror written on all over his face. "No!" He threw out the objection faster, and louder, than he meant to. He quickly lowered his voice. "You're too good of a nurse; they need you here."_

_Ellen gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "They need me; you don't. I'm not blind." She sighed as she remembered how it felt to be kissed by the man and the thoughts she'd been plagued with since. "You're having a hard time, and the fault is mine."_

_"No," Father Mulcahy lifted his hand and ran his fingers down her face. "It's not your fault; it has never been your fault. You can't be blamed for being a talented, intelligent, woman who happens to have more compassion in her little finger," he said as he remembered the many times she'd helped out in the Post Op or O.R., "than many have in their whole beings." While he had only meant to assure Ellen she'd done nothing wrong, Father Mulcahy found himself moving his face forward as he spoke. By the time he was finished speaking their faces were again inches away from each other; an action Ellen did not fight._

_The birds in the trees started singing loudly as Father Mulcahy and Ellen again began holding onto each other and kissing; one even flew down from the tree and flew close to their heads. Only problem was, neither one of them noticed._

_With Ellen in his arms once more, and his mouth over hers, Father Mulcahy found the fire rising inside him once more. Only this time, when his tongue slid into her mouth, it ravished it the same as a man out in the dry desert would drink up water. And, when his hands began moving up and down, there was no outside voice yelling in his ear._

_"Ellen." Francis whispered as his lips trailed her cheeks down to the side of her neck. "You're not making it hard on me. You didn't make me fall in love with you; I did that on my own. I shouldn't have; my vows forbid it, only I can't help it." He then spoke words he'd never dreamt would ever come out of his mouth. "I want you; I need you."_

_Ellen felt as if the world was spinning round as she let her fingers run up and down Father Mulcahy's back. "**What are you doing, girl! Pull back! He won't stop you! He won't force himself on you!"** She heard the thoughts only problem was, right or wrong, she loved and needed him too. "Love me, Francis." She whispered as she nipped at his ear. It was a request, and action, that made it so his hands found their way under the back of her shirt and up her back. _

_Before either one was really aware of anything, Ellen lay on the ground and Father Mulcahy was exploring her upper half which was as bare as the day she was born. More than one moan and groan escaped her lips as Father Mulcahy kissed and caressed every inch of her exposed skin as he confessed dreaming about this very thing more than once over the past few months. By the time he was finished Ellen had his upper half just as bare and was doing her own exploring. "Francis." She murmured as he lay on his back while her lips and hands wander over him which caused Father Mulcahy to let out a few groans of his own._

_As they continued their explorations, along with strained filled declarations of forbidden love and need, it seemed as if someone took the volume button in that part of Korea and turned all other sounds completely down. By the time Ellen lay gasping for air, her chest rising and falling so rapidly that the nurse was sure she would have cardiac arrest if something_ _was done, there was no turning back for either the good priest or the woman he'd fallen in love with. "Francis!" Ellen's cried out his name as he came to her while her hands flew up and around his back while they rode the wave of passion that was now between them._

**End of Flashback**

Father Mulcahy sat on the edge of his bed and his head hung slightly downwards. While Colonel Potter was shocked to learn that Father Mulcahy had lain with one of the nurses that had served at the 4077, he did not judge the good priest harshly. Why should he? Francis Mulcahy was only a man, just like many other priests he had known through the years. Okay, maybe a man doing his best to fulfill his calling; still, he had strengths and weaknesses just like any other man. True, he would need to talk someone in the church to "make things right" in their eyes, so what? Francis Mulcahy was still a good one.

"What happened? I mean, there has never been an Ellen Chapin in this camp since I've been here." Colonel Potter asked as he stretched his legs out a bit.

Father Mulcahy's shoulders slumped a bit. "I don't know. It's like this…" He took another deep breath and continued.


	6. Questions

**Chapter Six**

Colonel Potter sat behind his desk looking at his wife's picture. His mind was pre-occupied with all that Father Mulcahy had told him, including the fact that Ellen and he had had lain together not once, but twice. And then, just as he, was about to write his superiors and tell them he was going to leave the priesthood and marry Ellen, the nurse had dropped a bomb on him and told him she'd put in for a transfer. Father's Mulcahy's words still rang in Colonel Potter's ears.

_"She was crying as she begged me to forgive her, said she'd never stop loving me, only I was too good of a priest to turn my back on my calling, and that she wouldn't be the cause of my leaving." Father Mulcahy put his hands over his face as finally let out the one fear that had haunted him, and had come back full force after talking to Private Miller. "I couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't telling me everything, only, may the good Lord forgive me, I couldn't ask her either." He lifted up his head and looked at the colonel who saw the torment in his friend's eyes as he asked, "What if she left because she was carrying my child? And yes, it's real possibility as I found out later, when I tried to find out, she'd been sent stateside. No one would ever tell me why, but it's haunted me ever since."_

_ Deep in thought, Sherman T Potter didn't say anything for a few minutes. He'd seen many things since his days in the cavalry and many situations. The ones that always turned out for the best were the ones that were dealt with head on. That being the case, when he finally spoke, Father Mulcahy went into shock._

_ "She was right about one thing, Father. You are a good one. That being the case, you deserve an answer to your question. Let me do a bit of digging, without handing out names or circumstances. Let me see if I can find out if anyone can tell me anything about the exact reason she put in for a transfer and why it took place so fast. If you are to put this behind you, or deal with it, you need to know which way the road is going." He quit talking and waited for Father Mulcahy to answer, hoping the whole time he would consent to letting the colonel find out what he could._

_ For his part, Francis Mulcahy felt as if he'd just been told judgment day had come; that is, if the colonel did as he wished and found out the answer to the question that had plagued him for close to two years. Slowly he nodded, "Find out if you can, please."_

The colonel was brought out of his thoughts as Major Margaret Houlihan walked in. He'd sent Klinger to tell the head nurse he wanted to see her. Colonel Potter just hoped that the rumors that Father Mulcahy had heard during the period of time Ellen Chapin had been in the unit had some merit to them. If they did, Margaret just might be able to shed some light on the sudden transfer of a very good nurse.

"Klinger said you wanted to see me." Margaret stood in front of the colonel's desk half afraid he was going to say her nurses were creating some sort of problem.

"Yes, I did. I was hoping you could tell me what you knew about one Ellen Chapin and just why she put in for a transfer."

To say that Margaret was stunned would have been an understatement of the year s her eyes widened in disbelief. The colonel had sent for her to ask about a nurse he'd never met? What on earth had brought this on? "I don't see why it should matter now."

"I didn't ask if you thought it mattered." Colonel Potter gave her one of his stares that made everyone jump and do what he said. "I just need to know what you know about her and the reason for the transfer." He hoped the head nurse would not question him further. He was relieved when she didn't.

Margaret shrugged her shoulders and replied. "She was a fine nurse and did her job. She had a problem with her brother becoming a priest, but she didn't talk to me about it; you'd have to ask Father Mulcahy about that one." If Margaret hadn't been so busy answering the question she might have looked and seen look that flew across the colonel's eyes; as it was, she didn't. "Any way, one day she shocked me by coming in and telling me she wanted a transfer, said if she was to continue doing her job and keep her record spotless, she just had to leave. I could tell she was hiding something, but she wouldn't budge when I pressed for answers. Personally, I think maybe Hawkeye was hitting on her again and not letting up. Of course, he denied it at the time, and Ellen wasn't saying a word. I need my nurses to be able to do their job. Ellen was as honest as they come. If she said she could no longer do her job here, then she couldn't. So, I approved the transfer."

Colonel Potter didn't like it. It sure sounded like maybe, just maybe, Father Mulcahy was right. It was time to start making a few phone calls to people he knew. Naturally, he didn't need Margaret around while he did that. That being the case, he excused her. "Thank you. You can go now."

Still confused, Margaret turned around and left. She had too much work to do at the moment to push the colonel to tell her what was going on. After she left, the colonel started making phone calls…but he was careful of the words he used, as he didn't want to chance Klinger getting it into his head to listen in on the conversations and overhearing anything.


	7. Answers

**Forbidden Love **

**Chapter Seven**

Father Mulcahy hurried through the compound. It had been almost three months since his talk with Colonel Potter. Now the colonel had sent for him. Klinger's exact words were "I don't know what he wants to see you about, but he is in his tent waiting. The fact the colonel wanted to meet in his tent and not the office had Francis Mulcahy wondering if the man had found Ellen or what. Of course, he wasn't about to ask Klinger if he knew.

"What if he has? What if he's found her and she's raising our child by herself? Or, if she was expecting, did she give the child up for adoption? These and a hundred other questions ran through his mind. With his mind on the colonel and the possibility he'd found Ellen, Father Mulcahy had to apologize to more than one person for bumping into them.

Once outside, Father Mulcahy took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in!" The familiar voice of the colonel sounded through the door. Father Mulcahy opened it up and stepped inside. The door slammed behind him as his hand dropped to his side and his eyes widened. The woman he knew as Ellen Chapin sat on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Hello, Francis." Ellen gave him a weak, nervous smile.

"Hello." He did his best to smile back.

Colonel Potter smiled and stood up; he'd been sitting on the edge of his cot. "You two need to talk. I'll be back in an hour. No one will disturb you here." He then walked out the door leaving Father Mulcahy and Ellen to talk things out.

The minutes ticked by with neither one speaking, both unsure where to begin. Finally, Ellen spoke up. "I'm sorry, Francis. I never meant to leave you with any unanswered questions. Quite frankly, I didn't think about it. I just knew I loved you enough to accept the fact that you were, and would always be a priest; a very good one I might add. I didn't want to be the cause of destroying that."

"So you said, but," Father Mulcahy looked at her in earnest. "You left so sudden and, well, I always wondered if there was more to it. I should have asked back then…" his voice trailed off, the turmoil he felt was in his eyes.

Ellen felt horrible and wished she could do things over. She had hurt him by not being totally honest before, by letting fear rule her life. She took a deep breath and admitted she'd hidden a part of her reason for leaving from him. "I was carrying a child; however," she hurried on as a strong look of guilt appeared in his eyes, "I lost the child shortly after she was born." She heard an audible gasp from Father Mulcahy and sighed. "I guess the good Lord knew I could never willing give the child up and that you, sooner or later, would come looking for me. I figured it was his way of saying you needed to stay where you are, and I needed to move on. I'm sorry, Francis," She walked over to him and took a hold of his hands, "I know I should have told you, only I couldn't get myself to do it. I loved you too much to stand by and watch what you'd worked so hard for destroyed simply because we allowed ourselves to slip and cross lines that never should have been crossed in the first place."

Father Mulcahy, who was sick at the thought she'd had gone through nine months of carrying a child and then having to bury that baby by herself, lifted her chin up; she'd lowered her head slightly feeling rather sick about the fact that she'd hurt such a good man. "I loved you; I would have married you."

"I know that." She said as a few tears ran down her face. "And, in the long run, you would have come to resent it. You're heart is with your God and the people you serve more. I knew it and so do you. All I can do is beg you to forgive me."

_"Forgive her? My mother might not be a saint father, but like I said, she was a good woman." _A portion of Private Miller's words came back to him and Father Mulcahy smiled as he felt a peace which had evaded him for so long seemed to wrap itself around him, even if he knew he'd grieve the fact that he'd never seen their daughter; well not on this earthly plane. "There's nothing to forgive, Ellen. You're a wonderful woman, one that will always hold a special place in my heart." Father Mulcahy held her hands in his as he spoke, a look of admiration in his eyes.

"I don't think I'll ever stop loving you either, Francis. I do wish you the best." Ellen Chapin smiled kindly upon the man who would always hold a place in her heart, but would never again be held in her arms.

"My driver is probably waiting for me. I'm flying back to Wyoming tomorrow. I have family there." She pulled her hands out of Father's Mulcahy's and headed for the door.

"Ellen." Father Mulcahy's voice stopped her, and she turned around. "Don't be a stranger; you can always write." He smiled as she nodded and walked out the door.

Father Mulcahy waited a few moments and then walked out of the tent. Ellen was climbing in the jeep. After she was seated next to the driver, the gentleman started the jeep and drove away. As Father Mulcahy watched her drive away, he smiled wide as he whispered, "God bless you, Ellen." He then went to find Colonel Potter; he owed the man a world of thanks.

**EPILOGUE**

Father Mulcahy was sure the noise in the mess hall was at an all time high, as he went through the chow line and made his way to the table where Colonel Potter sat. No one else was there yet. He sat down across from the colonel.

The good colonel had been keeping an eye on Father Mulcahy over the past couple of weeks and had been elated to see more of a spring to his step and a light in his eyes that the colonel had never seen before. He was also aware that the good priest had received a letter from Ellen. That being the case, he was as curious as all get out and had to fight himself to keep from asking about it. He needn't have worried as the good priest seemed to read his mind.

"Ellen says to tell you hello and tell you that she's engaged to be married." Father Mulcahy was smiling from ear to ear as he gave Colonel Potter the news.

The colonel smiled back; he was happy to realize that he really had no cause to worry about the man named Father Francis Mulcahy anymore. Only when Hawkeye and the others joined them did the conversation turn to other things, as it should.


End file.
